When I got up this morning I had no intention of doing a blog entry this weekend. Things changed.

I’d made up my mind I was going to go someplace new for breakfast this morning instead of one of my 4.5 regular weekly haunts. The half is someplace that makes every other rotation. Anyway, I settled on Sully’s Steamers (normally I’d link that reference but for reasons you’ll understand in a minute I’m not going to). I made a quick stop at the dump (ok it’s called the recycling center but anyplace I take my trash will always be “the dump” to me) and headed out.

On the way there I had to pass the lakeside park and the sunrise was looking pretty cool. I turn a quick right turn to see what it looked like over the lake.

The sun was pointing right at the picnic table. I thought about just grabbing a biscuit from the nearest open place and coming back but no, I decided to stick fast to my plan. To downtown Clemson I continued. I got to Sully’s Steamers (again no link) and they had just this week changed the hours and now didn’t open until 8:00am. That’s brunch time people. I didn’t see that coming and now had to pivot.

Delish Sisters (see the link) is located inside a boutique hotel just half a block down the road. Seemed a little fancy but hey it was open so I turned right and then left into the place. There was one couple having breakfast and a couple of folks seated more or less in the hotel zone having hotel coffee and me. The menu isn’t huge but it had some interesting looking choices. I opted for the Breakfast ‘Sarmie’.

I don’t know what a ‘Sarmie’ is but what I got was a fancy bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with a breakfast salad. Now I will say the eggs were nicely cooked, the bacon portion was generous and thick cut plus the cheese was aged white cheddar. Oh and there was garlic aioli and onion marmalade all on a lightly toasted ciabatta roll. I did give the mixed greens salad some side eye as salad isn’t a breakfast food for me. It turned out to be tasty with the garlicy, olive oily, savory dressing. On the whole it was delicious and the atmosphere was boutique hotel casual. I fired up my Kindle app and prepared to read and eat.

I am pulled away after half my sandwich by a voice obviously directed at me, “Looks like you and I are the only ones in the place.” I look up to find this gentleman smiling at me and taking the table next to mine. I smiled and confirmed he did have the head count correct and went back to my book and breakfast. “My group didn’t get in until 3am last night. I was in bed by 10:00” Since we had established it was only the two of us I knew he had to be talking to me. Oh man he’s one of those. I looked up, smiled, made eye contact and nodded willing him to silence. His will was apparently greater because he ignored my silent wishes and asked if I was from here or in town for graduation like he was. Seems his grandson had just graduated from Clemson.

As much as I started out as a reluctant participant in the conversation I spent the next hour chatting with Bryce. Turns out he’s a multimillionaire from just south of Dallas with global business concerns that started with a parking lot painting business. He’s kind of passionate about biomedical research and technology as a result of his granddaughter’s childhood cancer (she’s doing well now 15 years on). We talked about the value of travel, staying engaged and purposeful as you age, a whole of lot of medical technology, his company in Panama and the research they are doing with stem cell infusions. His son came down, assumed his dad had cornered another victim and apologized. He needn’t have as I told them both it was a real treat chatting with his dad.

So while it wasn’t the start to the day I had planned when I got up it was a really good start to the day. Hope yours is surprisingly delightful as well.